Falling In Love
by Thefuriousguy
Summary: Po Ping, a helper on a ranch in Kentucky, is told by his friend Shifu to bring his rich daughter to the farm. He goes off to bring her. Will Po and Shifu's daughter begin a romantic relationship. I suck at summaries. Note: Humanized Rating might change as story goes on.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello guys, I'm back. On my previous stories, I had some reviews requesting longer stories. So here it is. This will be my first long story. I hope you like it. It contains Po, Tigress, and Shifu : as humans. Please don't kill me for naming a human Tigress. It takes place in the USA. Happy reading **

**If you would like the story in another language, PM me or say so in the review.**

**Chapter One**

"You want me to do what?" Po Ping demanded, while focusing hard on his friend Shifu. "Have you totally lost your mind? I'm not going to tell your daughter you're dying!"

"It's the only way she'll come." Shifu held Po's gaze and refused to back down.

"You owe me."

Po hated it when Shifu tried to make him feel guilty, which the old guy did often enough. Of course, Po owed Shifu. For a lot of things. Releasing his breath in a huff, he said, "Fine. I'll do it. But what are you going to do when she finds out you lied to her? Do you actually think she's going to stick around then?"

Shifu grinned, and his blue eyes twinkled with satisfaction. "We'll worry about that when the time comes. All I want right now is for you to go get her and bring her back to the farm. This is where she belongs. Right here, with me. I'm the only family she has left now."

Reaching into the breast pocket of his plaid flannel shirt, Shifu pulled out a folded piece of paper. "Here's the last address I had for her, and the name of that race car driver she's been seeing, in case you run into a problem finding her."

Po scowled. He knew all about Burke Marshal and his reputation with women. The man had a new girl attached to his arm every few months or so, according to those rags Shifu read. After shaking his head, Po stared at the slip of paper. It would be a miracle if Shifu's daughter was still in Palm Springs. And if she weren't, she could be anywhere; the Greek Isles, Rome, Switzerland, Rio. Hell, she'd lived all over the world. What made Shifu think she'd want to give up her high society life and come live on a small, struggling horse farm in Kentucky.

Refolding the paper with the address, Po put it in his shirt pocket and said, "I'll go sometime next week-"

"No way," Shifu interjected. "You need to go tomorrow. I already made a plane reservation for you."

"But your surgery is tomorrow."

"I'm having my heel spurs removed. You think I can't handle that without you hanging around?"

"The way you've been swearing, moaning, and carrying on makes me wonder," Po said.

Shifu mumbled something under his breath which Po couldn't hear but was pretty sure it was a cuss word.

444444

Tigress Ellis came around the bend at nearly seventy miles an hour and almost rear ended a black Ford. She was thankful no one was in the opposite lane, which allowed her to maneuver her Jaguar around the other car. The driver, a man sporting a cowboy hat, glared at her through the window, then blasted the horn as she passed.

"Tourists," she groaned. They drove like snails while they leisurely took in the Palm Desert scenery. Checking her rearview mirror for signs of Burke, and catching a glimpse of his red convertible directly behind the Ford, she pressed down on the accelerator a little more.

Even after the near-miss, she continued to drive like a crazy woman. Because crazy she must be to have gotten involved with a man like Burke Marshal. She should never have befriended him. She'd heard rumors about his reputation as a lady's man, but since she'd never been one to listen to gossip, she hadn't let the rumors bother her. Until several few weeks ago.

She and Burke had become friends. They'd gone to dinner a few times; he'd invited her to several of his races, and she'd accepted the invitations. He'd been on a winning streak and had called her his lucky copper penny because of her red hair. They'd had fun.

Then things had changed. He'd started pressuring her to sleep with him. And no matter how many times she'd told him no, he'd continued to beg and plead until she'd finally told him she didn't want to see him anymore.

At the beginning of their friendship, he'd said that after three divorces he didn't plan to marry again, and she could hardly blame him. Burke wasn't husband material, and he certainly wasn't the faithful type, according to those rumors. But he seemed to think she'd rejected his sexual advances so he would propose.

Then, a little over a month ago, he'd surprised her with a diamond ring and a proposal of marriage. Of course, she'd told him she couldn't marry him, that she didn't love him, but he'd refused to take no for an answer. Since then her life had been turned upside down. He refused to stop calling her. And not only would he call in the middle of the night, pleading with her to marry him, but he'd show up at the most inopportune times. She'd finally threatened that if he didn't leave her alone she would call the police.

But involving the police was the last thing she wanted to do, and Burke knew it. It would only end up getting their photos and some cheesy story about them in one of those rags. So instead, she'd gone on a ten-day cruise in the Caribbean, hoping that by the time she returned home, Burke would have forgotten all about her.

No such luck. The minute she'd stepped off the plane, he was there to greet her. She'd wanted to scream. The only way she'd managed to escape was by slipping into the ladies room. Watching from the doorway, she'd made a run for it when he'd turned his head.

She'd sighed with relief, thinking she'd succeeded in losing him, when she'd spotted his car on the freeway behind her. Now, she only wanted to get home. She should call Zuri and let her know she was on her way, but she didn't trust herself to take her eyes off the road for a second.

The Jaguar's tires squealed as she took a turn a little too sharply, forcing her to slow down a bit. Quickly, she checked the rearview mirror again. There was no sign of Burke or the black Ford that had been behind her a few moments ago. Taking a deep breath, she tried to relax some.

Not only didn't she want to marry Burke, but she had no intention of marrying anyone. After her mother's track record-six husbands and six divorces-thoughts of marriage had left a bitter taste in Rustina's mouth.

She didn't bother slowing down when she reached the long winding drive to her twenty-four room house. A piece of long, red hair worked its way from her French twist and slapped her cheek as she turned into the drive. She brushed it behind her ear with the back of her hand. The gardener must have thought she'd waved at him, because he raised his hand to return her greeting and smiled a toothy grin.

Forcing a smile, she gave the man a small wave, although smiling was the last thing she felt like doing at the moment.

"Screeching to a stop in front of the Spanish style, white, stucco house, she ripped off her Armani sunglasses and flung the car door open. After letting herself in the front door of her house, she turned to shut and lock it behind her and was instantly greeted by her housekeeper.

"Senorita Ellis," the woman said, obviously surprised to see her.

"Hi, Zuri."

"Why you no call me to say you come home? I could have cooked something fancy." Zuri said.

"I'm sorry. I was sort of in a hurry," Tigress said, tossing her handbag and keys on a table.

Hearing a man's voice echoing through the hall, and assuming it was Burke, she hurried back toward the foyer. Zuri must have let him in. "Once and for all the answer is no!" Tigress shouted as she turned the corner. But instead of Burke standing there, a dark-haired stranger dressed in well-worn blue jeans, a red flannel shirt and cowboy boots stood in the doorway, staring back at her.

"How do you know?" he drawled with a slight Texan accent, adding, "When you haven't even heard the question yet?"

444444

Po had recognized the Jaguar parked in front of the house. The one that had almost climbed over him ten minutes ago. So, Tigress Ellis was not only rich, but careless and reckless as well. He'd already had his mind made up that he didn't like the woman, in spite of all the nice things Shifu had to say about her. So what if she gave tons of money to charity each year? And what did he care that she'd donated enough to a children's hospital that they'd built a brand new wing with state of the art equipment? Tax deductions, nothing more.

"Senorita, this man is here to see you," the housekeeper announced.

The woman reeked of money, although Po happened to know she'd never worked a day in her life. And neither had her mother. Natalie Ellis had made a career of marrying rich men and then divorcing them. One of those men had died a few years back and had remembered Tigress and Natalie in his will. Then, just six months ago, at age forty-eight, Natalie had swallowed a bottle of sleeping pills and made her daughter an even wealthier woman. Po had heard she'd inherited over fifty million dollars. A nice chunk of change for a woman of twenty-eight.

"I'm Tigress Ellis," she said, walking toward him, a thin smile on her lips. She stuck her hand out. "You wanted to see me about something?"

Po took the hand she'd offered and shook it as he met her green eyes. "Yes," was all he had a chance to say when the doorbell chimed.

Dropping her hand, she said, "I'll get it, Zuri. Why don't you take Mr.-" She stopped and looked up at him, her eyes questioning.

"Ping," he said, and she nodded.

Turning back to the housekeeper, she said, "Please show Mr. Ping to the gallery and maybe get him a refreshment of some kind. I'll just be a minute."

The doorbell rang again, but she waited until he and the housekeeper were out of sight before he heard her open the door.

Pivoting around he saw Tigress talking to a man near the front door. Po recognized him immediately. He was none other than Burke Marshal, the race car driver she'd been seeing.

"Burke," Tigress said, "this has gone far enough."

"But you barely looked at the ring." Marshal shoved a small blue velvet box toward her.

Crossing her arms in front of her, she ignored the box.

"Do you want a bigger diamond? Something more flashy? Is that it?" the man asked, pocketing the ring in a huff.

Her hands dropped to her sides with a slapping sound. "No," she said firmly. "I just want you out of my life."

Marshal's mouth fell open, and he ran a hand through his dark blond hair. "You don't mean that, Tigress."

Hands on hips now, she said, "Yes, I do. Burke, I've told you a dozen times that I don't want to marry you. I don't love you."

"What the hell does love have to do with it?" he asked, looking at her as if she were crazy.

She closed her eyes momentarily and let out a long sigh, then folded her arms again. Her gaze drifted toward Po, then back to Burkel. Lowering her voice, she said, "Burke, please leave now. I have a guest waiting."

"Who?" he asked, jerking his head around and spotting Po. "What's he doing here? Looking for a job?"

Po straightened his shoulders and met the man's accusing stare. He didn't like this guy one bit. "Did you strike up a deal with your pawnbroker for that ring, Marshal? Figure you can pay back all your gambling debts once you're married to Ms. Ellis?"

The man's face turned red and he clenched his fists. Turning back to face Tigress, Marshal asked, "Who the hell is this guy?"

"You're in debt?" she asked, ignoring his question.

Marshal glanced at Po, who raised his brows.

"Nothing I can't handle," Marshal said. "Tigress, are you seeing someone else?"

"No," she said.

"Yes," Po intercepted and moved toward them. "As a matter of fact, she is. Now take a hike."

Turning his full attention on Po, Marshal said, "Look, cowboy, why don't you get on your horse and ride on out of here. This doesn't concern you." The man was tall, a little taller than Po's six-feet-two. But Po had the power, and both men knew it.

"Burke, please," Tigress said, then glared at Po with burning reproachful eyes.

Apparently she wasn't at all pleased by his announcement that they were seeing each other.

Po said, "I asked you once nicely to leave. If I have to ask you again, I'm going to throw you out."

Marshal's expression clouded in anger. "Tigress, just who the hell _is_ this guy ordering me around?"

Po moved in closer and threw his arm around Tigress's shoulder in a possessive act. "I'm the other guy," he told Marshal. "Now get lost."

Feeling Tigress trying to squirm away from his hold, Po held her even tighter. Her face colored fiercely until it was almost the same color as her red hair. "Mr. Peng!" she demanded, managing to break free.

"It's Ping. Po Ping. I'm surprised you don't remember, after last _night_," he said with a devilish grin.

Marshal spun on Po and brought his fist up to swing at him. But Po was faster. Ducking to avoid Marshal, he countered with a right hook, his fist connecting with the man's nose. Bone crunched, and blood spattered on the man's white dress shirt and expensive silk tie.

Burying his nose behind his hands, Marshal said, "Ow, goddamnit, you broke my nose, you no good son of a bitch." Or at least that's what Po thought the man mumbled.

"Well," Po said, feeling rather pleased with himself, "maybe you should go see a doctor." With that, he walked the few steps to the front door and held it open while Marshal continued to groan.

Po noticed the housekeeper, a tray of drinks in her hand, lurking in the hallway and shaking her head as if he should be ashamed of himself. Hell, he was only trying to help. And besides, _he_ wasn't the bad guy; _Marshal was._

Looking disgusted, Tigress said, "Zuri, Mr. Ping won't be staying for refreshments, after all."

"Yes, ma'am," the woman said and quickly disappeared.

Then, spinning on her heels to face Po, Tigress said, "Mr. Ping, you are _not _helping here."

"Really? I thought I was."

Marshal advanced on Tigress, and keeping one hand on his nose, reached for her upper arm with the other. "Tigress, tell me it's not true, that you're not sleeping with this guy." He gave her arm a little shake.

"Let go of me, Burke."

"Let the lady go," Po warned, moving toward him. But before he had a chance to knock the guy, Tigress stomped on the toe of Marshal's alligator shoe with the heel of her yellow, three-inch, designer shoe.

"Ow!" the man screamed, hopping on one foot.

"Burke, if you don't leave this instant I'm calling the police, and the press can just have a field day. And I'll tell them how pathetic you've been behaving. Now, get out of my house!"

To Po's amazement, Marshal walked through the door and out onto the front step. Turning to look over his shoulder, he said, "This is it. It's over between us. I'm not going to ask you to marry me again." Then he headed for the red Italian sports car that had followed Po almost the whole way from the airport.

Tigress marched to the door, slammed it shut and sighed with relief. "Thank God for small favors."

"You're welcome," Po said.

Pivoting around to face him, she said, "I wasn't talking to you." She ran her gaze down the front of him and back to his face. "What was it you wanted to see me about?" The look she gave him said she wasn't used to cowboys calling on her. And apparently she didn't like the idea either.

"I'm here about your father."

"Shifu?"

Did she have another father? Well, he supposed she'd had six if he included all the stepfathers. "Yes. Shifu. He'd like you to come home to the ranch."

"To Kentucky? To the horse farm? They're called horse farms in Kentucky, Mr. Ping, not ranches."

"Yes, well excuse my ignorance, but calling it by a fancy name doesn't change what it is. Anyway, Shifu sent me here to get you. Escort you, I meant to say."

Placing both hands on her hips, she said, "Well, as much as I'd like to visit, this isn't a good time. Now, if you'll excuse me, Mr. Ping."

"Yes, I can see you're probably very busy. What is it you do again?"

She dropped her hands to her sides and served him a haughty expression. "Mr. Ping,please tell Shifu that I have a life, and the next time he'd like to arrange for me to visit, he should phone ahead. Maybe he won't wait twenty-one years the next time."

Ignoring her, Po went on. "As I was saying, your father would like for you to come home. In fact, our plane leaves in a few hours. Do you think you could throw a few things together in a hurry?" he asked, moving his gaze down the front of her. "Maybe something warmer than what you're wearing."

"Like I said, I'm afraid I'll need a little more notice than-"

"He's dying." He'd sworn he wouldn't say that unless it was absolutely necessary. He hated lying about something as serious as death. Especially Shifu's death, even if it was a hoax. But he'd promised the old man he'd bring Tigress back. And Po was a man who never went back on his word.

He heard her suck in her breath, saw the mournful look in her green eyes. Maybe she wasn't as cold as he thought she was. Maybe she had a heart, after all.

Suddenly, she looked as if she were about to collapse, and his hand shot out to steady her, clutching her by the elbow. "You okay? You want to sit down?" Without waiting for an answer, he slid a wingback chair toward her and lowered her into it.

Finally, she spoke. "How much time does he have?"

"We're not sure." He avoided looking directly at her as he continued the lie, but managed to catch her nodding her head.

"I'll have Zuri pack some of my things." Po helped her to her feet. "I'm fine," she said, disengaging herself from his grip and giving him a look of annoyance. She glanced at her arm and then back at him before shuddering. As if his hands had somehow left a nasty residue on her white skin. The back of her left arm had already started to bruise from the rough way Marshal had handled her.

Po watched her walk down the hall and around the corner. While he waited for her to return, he drifted across the hall and nosed in the library.

"Is something wrong, Mr. Ping?" Tigress asked, staring at him from the doorway.

"I just realized I forgot to get Marshall's autograph," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

**Wooh, finally done. My writing tutor fixed my mistakes and upgraded the vocabulary and terminology. I'll try updating every day though that might not happen all the time. Please review with constructive criticism. Thanks. Also, an update on the legends of awesomeness series i will write: I will start on it after this story is finished. I won't include all the episodes though.**

**This is **

**thefuriousguy**

**signing off.**

**If you would like the story in another language, PM me or say so in the review.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello guys, I'm back with another chapter.**

** sweetluckygirl:Thank you for the great review. I was about to announce that I wouldn't continue the story because it seemed people didn't like it. This story only had two reviews compared to six-seven on my other stories. So thank you. i will continue writing this story, because it seems you enjoy the style.**

**I think more people like the animal forms of tipo, so it's different that i'm doing them as humans. Tigress is a redhead. (You know, orange fur)**

**I'll keep working on this story when I get at least 4 more reviews.**

**Anyways, enjoy the chapter. **

Chapter 2

Tigress recognized the black Ford out front. The one she'd passed in her hurry to get home earlier.

"Is that everything?" Po asked, closing the Ford's trunk. Zuri had helped Tigress pack some of her things, and he had carried the four bags, two at a time, downstairs and out front. He'd offered, although he looked extremely agitated with her now that the deed was done.

"Yes, for now. Zuri promised to box and ship some more of my things as soon as I call her."

He rolled his eyes, as if to say, what more could you possibly need. Not that she expected him to understand.

"Then, let's get a move on," he announced in that Texan drawl and proceeded to get into the car, ignoring her completely; he hadn't even offered to open the door for her. Stupid, ill-mannered cowboy, she thought. With her still standing on the curb, he started the engine. When she remained standing, he lowered the passenger window.

After a long, breathy sigh, he asked, "Is something wrong?"

"No. Not a thing." She didn't like him. He was rough around the edges and too sure of himself. And then there was the way he'd man-handled Burke. She had appreciated Ping coming to her defense, but surely he could have been more civil. She didn't care for men who tried to settle their differences with their fists. It was not only childish, but barbaric as well.

She thought about giving him a lecture on chivalry, then decided not to waste her time or energy. Pulling open the door handle, she slid onto the seat. She'd barely shut the door, when the man jerked away from the curb. Fumbling with the seat belt, she managed to buckle it as he made his way onto the main road. Po Ping was tall, lean and very muscular.

Next, she took in his clothing. Worn out blue jeans, a faded, red, flannel shirt, and dirty, scuffed boots. A cowboy hat and a sheepskin-lined suede coat sat on the back seat of the car. Although she knew most women would find Po attractive, he simply didn't appeal to her. Not in the least.

"You're not from Kentucky, are you?"

"No, ma'am." He deliberately added emphasis to his accent, but didn't bother to say where he was from. He didn't have to. He was Texas bred, that was obvious by the way he spoke and dressed.

Kentucky horse breeders were a different lot than the Texans. The ones she'd met wouldn't be caught dead in blue jeans and cowboy boots. But Ping seemed right at home in his choice of clothing.

She turned her head and stared out the window. For the first several miles, all she could think about was her dying father. She hadn't seen Shifu in twenty-one years. With the exception of her mother's funeral. He hadn't looked sick then, older than what she remembered, but certainly not sick. Of course, he hadn't stuck around very long. He'd come, paid his respects, asked if she needed anything, and left. He'd never even offered to buy her a cup of coffee, chat with her, something, anything, after not seeing each other in a blue moon.

Her parents had divorced when she was only a baby. And she couldn't remember much about Shifu. She had only one photograph of him. He'd been holding her on a horse when she was no older than five or six.

She couldn't remember much about the farm either, only what little Natalie had told her. Her mother had said it was dirty, primitive, vile, and no place for a young lady. Tigress used to visit her father at that farm every summer. Until the year she'd turned seven. That summer, she'd fallen from a horse and broken her arm. Natalie had screamed like a banshee when she'd seen Tigress's cast. She'd accused Shifu of trying to turn her daughter into a tomboy. Then she'd announced that Tigress would be attending boarding school that fall in Switzerland and would not be returning to the farm. Ever again.

Tigress had cried most every day her first year away at school. A strange country. With no mother, and no father. She'd written to Shifu several times, had begged him to come and get her. But he'd never come. And he'd never answered her letters. Finally, after a year, she'd stopped writing to him and accepted the fact that he no longer wanted her in his life.

But now he was dying, and he wanted to see her. She couldn't just ignore him when he needed her. She couldn't be cruel.

Turning her attention to Po, she asked, "Is he in pain?"

The man shifted his olive eyes her way. "Who?"

"Shifu."

"Yes. He swears and complains a lot. Maybe with you around, he'll get off my back."

She sucked in her breath. "Haven't you any compassion? The man is dying."

He didn't answer, but he'd at least had the decency to look sorry for what he'd said. Neither spoke for several minutes. Tigress stared out the window again as they sped along. The man wasn't a big conversationalist, that was for sure. Not that she wanted to engage with him in conversation, but at least it would be something to do. If they were going to travel together for the next several hours, they could at least be civil to one another.

Besides, he knew Shifu. Maybe he could tell her some things about him.

She turned her head toward him. "Do you work at the farm, Mr. Ping?"

"Yes."

"Are you aware my mother died a little less than six months ago?"

"Yes, and I'm sorry."

_Sure you are_, she thought, but bit back the words. "Thank you," she said instead, remembering her manners. "Did you know Natalie was once married to a Duke?"

He shrugged as if he couldn't care less.

"Most people find that very impressive, Mr. Pin."

"I'm not most people. Besides, she was only married to the man for four months."

Tigress's spine stiffened. Crossing her hands in her lap, she said, "For a farmhand you seem to know an awful lot about your employer's ex-wife."

He didn't answer.

She _did_ like the scent of his spicy cologne. At least he didn't smell like dirt and sweat, in spite of his outward appearance.

"What has Shifu told you about me?" she asked, wanting to break the silence.

He concentrated on passing a huge semi before answering. "Not much," he said. "But I suspect you're probably a lot like your mother."

He'd struck a nerve. She was nothing like Natalie. Or was she? She supposed there'd been similarities between them. But she couldn't, for the life of her, begin to imagine what they were. Natalie had collected husbands for a living, while Tigress had no intention of marrying every man who looked at her sideways, and then divorcing them when she tired of them. In fact, she didn't plan to marry at all. That way, there'd be no chance of a divorce.

"So, how did you two meet?" she asked sweetly, wanting to get her mind off marriage. Besides, she refused to let him know how much he irritated her.

Chewing on his bottom lip, he glanced at her and drew his eyebrows together.

Tigress shrugged and forced a smile. "Surely it's not a secret."

Snorting, he turned his attention back to the road and said, "I guess it doesn't much matter. You'll find out sooner or later."

"Find out what?"

"Your father was the only one to offer me a job when I got out of prison."

_Prison?_ Did he say _prison_? Casually, she turned away and faced the front. She suddenly felt chilly, and goose bumps formed on her bare arms. She adjusted the air conditioning vents to blow in the opposite direction.

Finding her voice, she spoke evenly, trying to sound perfectly normal. "Why were you in prison?" _Please, God, don't let him be some deranged killer._ She'd gotten into a car with a complete stranger just because he'd claimed he knew Shifu. She hadn't even asked him for identification.

Maybe his name wasn't Po Ping. Maybe he wasn't from Kentucky. The man could be anyone. From anywhere.

Maybe he planned to rape and murder her, then leave her naked body in the woods so wild animals could gnaw on it. She shuddered at the thought.

"I was in prison for grand theft auto," he finally said.

_What a relief_. "Oh," she breathed, then looked around the interior of the car. _Had he stolen it?_

As if he could read her mind, he glared at her and said, "No, I didn't steal it. I rented it at the airport."

"I didn't say anything."

"You didn't have to."

He kept his eyes on the road and refused to look at her. It was obvious he was miffed about something, but she'd be darned if she knew what it was. She hadn't done anything wrong. _He_ was the car thief. And it would do her good to remember that before she had any more bright ideas about engaging him in conversation. She already knew more about the man than she wanted to know. Much more.

For the remainder of the ride to the airport, she kept her mouth shut, and her hand on the door handle, just in case she had to jump out and make a run for it. She only wished she'd changed shoes, she thought, glancing at her yellow Ferragamo heels. She couldn't bear the thought of ruining them.

444444

Po fished the airline tickets from the pocket of his suede coat, and handed one to Tigress.

"We're not sitting in first class?" she asked.

Po stared at the woman. She hadn't spoken a word since he'd mentioned he'd done time for grand theft auto.

And the looks she'd given him, as if he were dog shit stuck to the bottoms of her expensive, yellow shoes.

Tigress's cold-shoulder, holier-than-thou attitude had pissed him off, and if she hadn't been Shifu's daughter, Po would have kicked her pretty, little, hoity-toity ass out of the car and left her on the side of the road. Designer luggage and all.

"No, we're not sitting in first class," he said.

"But you don't expect to travel all that way-"

Po cut her off. "If you want to upgrade _your_ ticket to first class, be my guest."

Her mouth dropped open, but she didn't say anything as they waited in line to board. She ran her gaze over his attire again for the third time today, and then with a toss of her head, looked the other way.

Po wasn't sure if he liked it better when she was running her mouth, or giving him the silent treatment. Silence is golden, he told himself as they stepped onto the plane and worked their way down the aisle to their assigned seats.

He lifted the overhead compartment, tossed his hat and coat inside and took the seat by the window, while Tigress chatted with a woman across the aisle.

"I absolutely adore your shoes," he heard the woman exclaim. The woman then proceeded to inquire as to where Tigress had bought them.

Po shook his head and stared out the window at the pavement, wondering how long Shifu's daughter was going to hold up the other passengers while she made pointless conversation with a stranger. _Who cared where she bought her shoes?_

"I love the window seat," Tigress said sweetly moments later as she stood in the aisle, apparently waiting for him to relinquish his seat to her. The line of people behind her looked impatiently at him, as if they, too, thought he should offer her his seat.

Looking up at her five-foot-five-inch frame, Po said, "So do I." He reached for a magazine from the seat pouch in front of him and looked through the pages.

"You need to be taught some manners," she said between her teeth as she sat down beside him and wedged her Gucci bag under the seat in front of her.

Her hand shot under his thigh and right butt cheek. Po turned to stare at her. "Getting a little frisky, aren't you?"

She yanked the seat belt free and shot him a look as she buckled it. "You wish."

"Honey, you're not my type," he said, giving her the once over. "But if you should get horny while you're at the ranch, I wouldn't mind accommodating you. My room is just across the hall from yours."

Her mouth gaped open. "If you value your job, you'd better never speak to me like that again. Or I'll tell my father just what kind of man he's got working for him."

Po only smiled at her. He wanted to laugh his ass off. But he could wait. Besides, his smile had already done the trick. She unbuckled her seat belt, stood and motioned for a flight attendant. "I'd like to change seats, please. This man is annoying me. Something in first class would-"

Po winked at the tall brunette and interrupted. "My wife's mad at me because I told her she was too skinny. It was insensitive of me." He tugged on Tigress's arm and said, "Sit down, honey. You're causing a scene."

Tigress spun around and glared at him.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but we're overbooked," the flight attendant explained with a smile. "Please take your seat. And if it's any consolation, I think you look great. I'd give anything to lose five pounds." With that, the woman shuffled down the aisle to tend to another passenger.

Tigress shifted her gaze around the cabin, then dropped back into her seat.

After they were airborne, Po adjusted his seat to recline a few inches, crossed his arms over his chest and closed his eyes. The sweet smell of her intoxicating perfume hovered in the air around him, driving him crazy. It was going to be a long, long flight, he thought, going to sleep.

**End Chapter**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Please lift your seat backs and fasten your seatbelts," the flight attendant said as she drifted past. Tigress returned the magazine she'd been reading to the seat pocket in front of her and dug her elbow into Po's side. "Wake up. We're getting ready to land in St. Louis."

His mouth pulled into a grin as he opened his eyes. "I heard."

Some travel companion he was, she thought. He hadn't spoken a word to her since take-off. And the only time he'd opened his eyes was when she'd asked the flight attendant what kind of bottled water they served. His mouth had twisted into a sort of a smile, and then he'd closed his eyes again and promptly ignored her.

Looking across Po, she saw snow flakes blowing around in the darkness. She'd packed in such a hurry, she hadn't thought about snow. It had been eighty-nine degrees when they'd left from her place. Pulling the edges of her white sweater together, she shuddered at the thought of cold weather. She loved the hot sun, although one would never guess it.

"It's snowing here. Do you think it will be snowing in Kentucky, too?" she asked.

"It was snowing when I left this morning." He ran his hands over his beard stubble and then through his hair before he raised his seat back and looked out the window. "I sure hope you brought something more practical to wear on your feet than those yellow ice skates you're wearing. You're liable to break your pretty little neck."

Was that concern pouring from his tight, grim mouth? "I didn't bring any boots. You were rushing me, and I forgot." The truth was, she didn't own a pair of boots.

His gaze darted her way. "Well, you brought sneakers or something, didn't you?"

She turned her head, studied her red nails and ignored him. She'd miss her manicurist and her yoga classes at the spa. She doubted Kentucky had a spa. Funny, she hadn't thought of that town in years.

"I should have known. Little Miss Hoity-Toity doesn't wear anything but three-inch, designer label shoes."

Her head whipped around. "And what's wrong with that? I always try to look my best. Besides, I didn't know when I dressed this morning that I'd be flying clear across the country to some town in Kentucky, or that it would be snowing." "It's the middle of February. What did you think it would be doing outside?"

She narrowed her eyes. "I hadn't given it much thought, but that's beside the point. It certainly wouldn't have hurt you any to throw on a suit and visit a barber before showing up on my doorstep."

"I only own one suit, and I save it for weddings and funerals."

_Funerals._ She gasped. Soon she'd have to plan Shifu's funeral. At least with Natalie, Tigress knew exactly what she'd wanted. Nothing but the best. The more lavish, the better. And Tigress had spared no expense.

But what about Shifu? What would he want? Her eyes began to tear. The poor man was dying, and she was more concerned with his taste in coffins and flowers than what he was dying from.

The plane touched down, jerking her forcefully to the left and pushing her shoulder into Po's. Then it shot down the runway until finally coming to a stop.

She wiped the tears from her eyes. "What's wrong with Shifu?" she asked. "Is it . . .?" Oh, God, she couldn't bear to say the word.

"Yes, I'm afraid so," he said without looking at her. First her mother, and now her father. Soon, she'd be all alone in the world. Which was pretty much how it had been most of her life.

444444

"But, you don't understand. We have to get to Kentucky tonight. My father is very ill," Tigress explained at the ticket counter inside Lambert International Airport in St. Louis.

"I appreciate that, and I'm sorry about your father," the disinterested man behind the counter said. "But that's one of the worst snow storms to hit that part of the country in years. There are no planes flying east anymore tonight."

"Thanks," Po said to the man, coming up behind Tigress. "We understand." Looping his arm through hers, he dragged her away from the counter. "While you were trying to fight Mother Nature, I made some calls and got us a room for the night. But they'll only hold it for an hour, so we have to get a move-on."

She stopped walking and stared up at him. "Room? As in _one_ room?"

"We were lucky to get it. People are stuck here because of the storm."

"I'm not sleeping in a room with you, if that's your dirty little plan."

"You have a better plan?" Po spat out. "If not, I suggest you make one pretty fast, because I'm leaving. I'll meet you back here in the morning. There's a flight scheduled to leave at eight sharp, _if_ the weather cooperates." With that, he resumed walking.

"You can't just leave me here," she said, hurrying behind him.

He shrugged, but kept walking. "That's your choice."

Her heels clicked on the tile floor. "Would you _please_ slow down?" she screamed at his back. "I can't run in these shoes."

Po slowed his pace, allowing her to catch up to him. Several people in the terminal watched them with interest. "Better?" he asked, sarcastically.

"Yes. Thank you."

She matched his pace and seemed totally oblivious to the men who ogled her as she walked, or the women who stared at her with envy.

So, she was an attractive woman? She was still spoiled rotten and had her nose in the air. She deserved to be knocked down a peg or two, and she definitely needed a good spanking. And Po would love to be the one to do both.

"So, how tall are you?" she asked, breaking into his thoughts.

"I don't know. Six-two, I think."

"No wonder you walk so fast. Without my heels, I'm only-"

"Five-five," he interjected..

She blinked at him, but kept walking. "I suppose you think you know how much I weigh, too. Not that I'd tell you."

"One hundred ten pounds."

She looked offended at his guess. "One hunded seven," she stated.

"Like I said earlier, you're too skinny."

She shot him a sideways glance. "Don't forget my bags."

How could he forget those? Two of them had been over the weight limit, and he'd had to pay fifty dollars extra for each of them. They followed the arrows pointing to the baggage claim.

After retrieving Tigress's bags, Po flagged a porter, shrugged his arms into his coat, and plopped his hat on top of his head. "Maybe you should grab a coat from one of your bags before we go outside," he said to Tigress. "It looks kind of nasty out there."

She shivered in the flimsy dress and thin cotton sweater. And each time the automatic doors had opened, she'd clutched the sweater around her as if it would help.

"I'll be fine," she said stubbornly as the porter loaded the bags onto a silver cart. She followed the man to the doors.

Po shook his head. She obviously hadn't packed a winter coat. "Here, put this on." He shrugged out of his coat and helped her into it.

"Thank you." Smiling satisfactorily she marched outside and would have fallen on her bottom if Po hadn't caught her by the arm.

He glanced down at her yellow shoes on the icy pavement, and shook his head again. "Don't move," he ordered, letting go of her arm long enough to hail a cab. The porter loaded her bags into the trunk. Po tipped the man, helped Tigress get into the cab, then slid in beside her. After announcing the name of the motel to the driver, off they went.

"I've never been this cold," Tigress said, her teeth chattering as she rubbed her hands together.

_Just think how damn cold she'd have been if I hadn't offered her my warm coat_, Po thought, but didn't voice his opinion as he fought off a chill.

"I can't wait to get to the hotel. While I'm soaking in a hot tub of bubbles, you can call room service and order me a lobster salad, a fresh papaya juice, and a mineral water."

Po chcukled. She was in for a big surprise. **( AN: If you're thinking m-rated thoguhts, don't. It's just that the room won't be like Tigress imagined. That's the surprise. I bet most of you tought: **_**one room, overnight stay...) **_**Lol**

444444

It's not as if Tigress had expected a five-star motel, but she certainly hadn't expected a flea-bag motel with a drippy shower head, no bathtub, and one double bed with a sagging mattress.

Her luggage filled the tiny, dull room, making it difficult to maneuver around. She'd caught the cowboy shaking his head at it more than once.

Sighing in frustration she sat down in the rickety chair in the corner. She'd been looking forward to a night of relaxation and a tasty dinner. But the place not only didn't have a masseuse, there were no restaurants on the premises, either. Ping had run across the street to some fast food place and brought back dinner in a bag. Greasy hamburgers and greasier fries-as if she would consider sticking those things in her body. When she'd politely declined his offer to eat, he'd shrugged his big shoulders, said, "Suit yourself," and then proceeded to eat her share, as well as his own. The man had no manners.

The cowboy seemed right at home in their miserable surroundings. Of course, he'd once been in prison. Maybe this room was equal to a five-star hotel to him. When he finished the contents of the grease-soaked, white, paper sack, he yanked off his boots, stretched out on top of the bed, and clicked on the television remote.

I can't believe you're lying on that filthy bedspread. Do you have any idea what kind of people have touched that thing? Or what kinds of things they've done on it?" She screwed up her face and glared at him.

He raised his eyebrows at her and grinned. "I hadn't given it much thought. But since you've obviously been fantasizing about things of that nature, why don't you share your thoughts with me?"

"You're disgusting." Tigress stood, inched her way between the bed and dresser and unzipped one of her bags. She looked through it until she found a silky, peach chamois to sleep in. Not that she'd be able to sleep in the dreadful room, but at least she'd feel comfortable.

"I'm going to take a shower," she informed her unwanted roommate. She gathered her things and slammed the bathroom door. There was no lock, and she wondered seriously whether or not she should trust Po Ping not to come in.

She supposed if he'd intended to rape her he'd have done it by now. And besides, he'd said she was too skinny. The man obviously wasn't interested. Still, she kept her eyes trained on the door while she undressed.

444444

Peace and quiet at last. Po smiled to himself as he flipped through the TV channels. He prayed Tigress would take a nice, long shower. The longer she stayed in that bathroom, the longer he wouldn't have to look at her.

The woman ground on his nerves. She was too good to sit in coach. Too good to eat fast food. Too good for this room, even though it was the last one in town.

And, she was too good for him. Not that it bothered him in the least. She was Shifu's daughter. And even if she weren't, she wasn't his type. He didn't like mouthy female.

He glanced at the bathroom door as he tried to picture her naked.

He slammed a fist into the mattress and blew out a heavy breath. So, if he wasn't interested in sleeping with her, then why in hell couldn't he stop thinking about her?

He focused on the television and tried to concentrate on the show playing, but the scream coming from beyond the bathroom door had him jumping from the bed and storming through the door in two seconds.

He discovered Tigress standing in the middle of the bathroom. She was trembling and pointing to the shower stall. She seemed to have forgotten she was naked.

"It's in there," she cried, latching onto his arm and digging her nails into him. "Oh, God, it was so awful. This huge, hairy beast came crawling down the shower curtain." She shuddered, and took a deep breath. "I can't bear to think about it."

"Was it a rat?" he asked.

She nodded her head. "Yes, it must have been a rat. You have to kill it. I can't stay in this place with that . . . _thing_."

"Okay, calm down." He stared at her.

He felt himself growing hard and swore under his breath, hoping Tigress didn't notice his erection. He could just imagine her calling him a pervert, or something of that nature. Reaching for a bath towel, he wrapped it around her shoulders. "Why don't you wait outside?"

Quickly, she hurried from the batroom and out of his sight. Looking around for some kind of weapon, he was disappointed with the selections. The best choice seemed to be Tigress's blow dryer. He armed himself and slowly pulled back the shower curtain. He laughed.

She stuck her head in the door. "What's so funny?"

"Don't you know the differnce between a cockroach and a rat?"

"No! Apparently, you'r eused to seeing such things. But I'm not." She clutched the towel to her front and turned her back on him, treating him to a view of her backside. He swore again.

Tigress must have heard, because she turned to face him. When she realized he'd been staring at her backside, she said, "Although, I'm beginning to see the difference now. _You're_ a rat."

**Wooh. Finally done. The next chapter is going to get more awkward.**

**:) thefuriousguy signing off... for now**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

The man was infuriating, Tigress thought just as the shower turned off. She knew that any minute now Po Ping would emerge from the bathroom and expect to climb into bed with her.

They'd argued about the sleeping arrangements. She felt _she_ should have the bed. He said they'd share it. Period, end of discussion.

He'd called her a spoiled brat. Just because she'd experienced some of the finer things in life did not make her spoiled. If anything, she'd been cheated. She'd grown up in boarding schools, without her mother and father. Every time Natalie had divorced and re-married, off she would go to a new school.

When she'd finished school, she'd bought several different houses in several different countries. And while she'd enjoyed them for a short time, none had felt like home. Living alone was just that, lonely.

She'd longed for her father for years. She would have forgiven Shifu for abandoning her, for not rescuing her from boarding school, if only he'd written and told her that he'd loved her, missed her, and asked her to visit him at the farm again. But he hadn't. Her heart had ached, but eventually she'd gotten past it. To her, Shifu had been just amemory.

But now, she was going back to the farm. Back to the only home she'd known as a child, even though her memory was foggy.

Why was it so important to Shifu that she be at his deathbed? Had he missed her all those years? Had his heart ached, too? If so, why hadn't he called or written in twenty-one years?

The bathroom door opened abruptly, flooding the room with light. Squeezing her eyes tightly shut, she pretended to sleep. Po was extremely lean and muscular, and she had to admit he probably looked pretty good without his clothes. Not that she cared.

She pried one eye open, but just for a quick peek. Just long enough to see that he'd dressed in his faded, blue jeans. But that was all. His wet hair was slicked back away from his forehead. Dark crinkly hair covered his bare chest and then tapered to a point just above the waistband of his jeans. His shoulders were wide and muscular, his waist trim. And boy, did he look good.

She rolled over and faced the center of the bed, the whole while pretending exhaustion.

"Are you asleep?" he asked, flicking the bathroom light off and working his way toward the bed in the dark. There was a thud. "Ouch, dammit!" Obviously, he'd stubbed his toe on a piece of her luggage. And there was no doubt in her mind that he'd blame her.

"Not anymore," she responded.

She felt his weight on the sagging mattress as he made himself comfortable. Somehow his weight made her slide toward the center. When her hand touched his warm bare chest, she jumped in surprise and tried to move back to her side of the bed.

"What's that smell?" he asked sharply.

Tigress sniffed the air. "I don't smell anything other than the stench in this room."

"No, not that." He sniffed loudly. "You sprayed perfume to go to bed?"

Lifting her head from the pillow, she stared at him in the darkness. Because of the green, neon light she was able to see his rugged face, the glint in his eyes, his bare chest and arms. "It's lotion," she explained. "I like to moisturize before bed."

He sniffed again.

"What's wrong? Do you find it offensive?"

"No, but how the hell do you expect me to sleep?" he grumbled.

Tigress laid her head back and smiled in satisfaction. "Just try to remember who the scent belongs to. It's _my_ scent, and you're not attracted to me in the least. I'm too skinny, _remember_? So, you should be able to sleep just fine."

He snorted. "Hardly. I saw you naked. _Remember_?" he taunted.

She scooted to the other side of the bed and as far away from him as she could get, but because of the mattress, and the cowboy's weight, it was utterly impossible. Every time she managed to crawl to the edge, she'd slide back to the middle within seconds. t took her a long time to fall asleep, but eventually sleep overcame her.

Sometime during the night, she awoke to find not only Po Ping's coat securely draped across her body, but his arm and leg as well. His face was buried in her hair and his breath tickled her neck. He was big, and he was warm. And the room was freezing cold. So cold she could see her breath. She had a feeling the rickety, old heater at the far end of the room had stopped of waking the cowboy and ordering him to get off her, she welcomed his body heat and snuggled a little closer.

444444

In his dream he felt her moving against him. Po pulled her shivering body even closer and held her tightly. Breathing in her scent, he was almost asleep again. Back to his dream about Tigress. Until he realized it wasn't a dream. It was real.

She was so soft, so warm. And she was Shifu's daughter.

He flopped onto his back and flung the covers away. Tigress moaned in protest, but he pretended not to notice.

What the hell had he been thinking? They should have taken turns in the bed, or better yet, he should have just let her have thething. He could have sat up in the chair all night. It wasn't as if he were going to get anymore sleep now anyway.

Rolling over to face him, she reached for him. Her fingers played with the hairs on his stomach and chest as he watched with dismay. But her eyes remained closed. Then her head moved closer to his side and she nestled against him, her soft breath teasing his bare skin.

Damn! What the hell was he supposed to do now? Toss her out of the bed? Not very likely. He could always pace the floor till morning. Or take another cold shower, like the one he'd had earlier. A lot of good that had done. He was just as hard now as he had been when he'd seen her naked.

His choices being limited, he opted for choice four. Stay right where he was, even though it would be pure torture not being able to do anything more than hold her next to him. Swearing to himself, he slid down beneath the covers and cradled her against him.

Realizing how ridiculous he was being, he slammed his eyes closed and tried to force her from his mind. Although it wasn't an easy task, he finally managed to doze off an hour before they had to get up.

444444

When he opened his eyes again, he was still painfully erect. Tigress was already up, dressed and standing with her back to him at the end of the bed. He watched as she brushed her long red curls.

Her movements were slow, graceful and articulate. Neatly, she folded the skimpy silk thing she'd slept in, bent over and placed it in one of her bags.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

Hearing her voice, Po snapped out of it. He bent his knees slightly beneath the covers, so she wouldn't notice the state he was in. "Like what?"

She stared at him a moment, then shook her head and turned away. "You'd better get up and get moving, or we'll miss our flight."

Glancing at his watch, he groaned in protest and forced his weary body to sit up. Running a hand over his rough, bristly jaw, he asked, "You wouldn't happen to have a razor I could borrow, would you?"

She dug in her toiletry bag, tossed him some kind of fancy looking gadget in a blue plastic case, and said, "Keep it." Since he hadn't planned on being gone overnight, he hadn't packed a bag. He didn't have a toothbrush or any clean underwear either, but wasn't about to mention it. Somehow, he'd make do.

Getting to his feet, he said, "Give me five minutes."

She didn't so much as look at him. In fact, he swore she was avoiding looking at him altogether. Had she remembered sleeping in his arms the night before, too? And the way her body had fit perfectly against his? It didn't much matter if she remembered or not, he supposed. Because Little Miss Hoity-Toity wasn't the type to admit it if she had. Blowing out a frustrated breath, he padded to the bathroom in his bare feet.

444444

The freak snowstorm, which had taken Kentucky and parts of Ohio by surprise, had quieted down during the night after dumping a foot of the pearly white stuff on the ground. But the airlines were back on schedule this morning, and they had flown from St. Louis to the Greater Cincinnati Airport which served both southern Ohio and northern Kentucky. Po drove the black pick-up truck he'd left at the airport terminal the day before. He said they had a two hour drive to Red Ridge. They'd exited the interstate nearly thirty minutes ago, and the longer they drove, the more anxious Tigress felt.

As she gazed about the rolling countryside hills with waist-high snow drifts, she thought about Shiu. She still didn't refer to him as Dad or Father. Nor had she referred to Natalie as Mother. After she'd been ditched in that first boarding school and ignored for nearly a year, Tigress had disowned them both in her mind. They were no longer her parents. They were simply Natalie and Shifu. Just two people she'd once known.

And although Natalie and she had seen each other throughout the years, Tigress had learned to keep her distance. Because as soon as she'd entertain the idea that she and her mother would undoubtedly be close some day, it was back to boarding school for her, and off with a new lover for Natalie. Natalie's love life had always been more important to her than Tigress had. And as far as Shifu had been concerned . . . well, she wasn't quite sure why Shifu had neglected her all those years.

"You've been awfully quiet since our plane landed," Po said, concerned. "Are you okay? You're not sick or anything, are you?"

Her feet felt like icicles, and her fingers were numb. If it weren't for Po's warm sheepskin lined coat, she would have frozen to death by now. And she was starving. She hadn't eaten anything the day before or this morning. "No, I'm not sick. Thank you for asking. I was trying to remember some things. Like all of this empty land. As a little girl, I should have felt lost and frightened with all that openness. Yet, I don't quite remember feeling that way. I think I liked visiting the farm. I know that sounds silly. Natalie always condemned the place. She turned to face him more fully. "Is it really awful?"

He frowned. "That depends on your definition of awful."

Tigress hadn't realized what she'd said. "That was insensitive of me. You work there. Obviously, you feel a fondness for the place, as Shifu must feel."

"Yeah, you could say that."

She'd offended him. As soon as he'd answered, he tuned the radio to some horrible country station and raised the volume. Thirty minutes later, her head was ready to explode. "Aren't there any stations with classical music?" she shouted above the noise, pressing her fingertips to her forehead.

He looked at her like she was crazy, and yelled, "I don't think so."

Turning her head away in a huff she stared out the window, wishing her headache away. Sometimes Po seemed like a decent man; concerned, caring. And other times, like now, he acted like such a jerk. Well, she wouldn't waste her time thinking about him now. That would only make her headache worse.

Last night, Po had said his room was just across the hall from hers. Surely he'd been teasing. Why on earth would he be living in Shifu's house?

There were a few buildings scattered about, two large barns and one that looked like a house. The house was red brick with big white pillars and a large front porch. It was nothing like the house she'd pictured. In fact, it was actually very appealing.

When the truck came to a stop in the circular drive, all Tigress could do was stare.

"I know it doesn't compare to some of the places you've lived, but we call it home. And I'd appreciate it if, while you're here, you'd keep your snooty-nose comments to yourself," Po lectured her.

The gall of that man, she thought. Of course, Shifu's house didn't compare to some of the houses she'd lived in. Those houses had been magnificent showpieces of architecture. Especially the villa in the south of France.

But they were only houses, not homes. And she'd never considered any of them home. She'd always known not to get too comfortable, because she'd one day leave them each behind.

Not wanting to give Po the satisfaction of knowing he'd irked her, she turned and smiled prettily. "I'll try to watch my mouth." She reached for the door handle.

"Good," he said smugly. "Wait there, I'll help you out. You're liable to break your neck."

"What would you care?"

"I don't, but Shifu might," he said, opening his door and getting out. He slammed the door and came around the front of the truck. What he'd meant, she decided, was that if she broke her neck, Shifu would probably fire him.

Sitting in her seat, she waited for him to open the door. She looked down to see where to place her feet but Po surprised her by lifting her off the seat and into his arms.

"Put me down. I can walk."

"Not in those things you call shoes."

She'd chosen her lowest pair of heels that morning, but they were still two inches.

"Didn't you bring any sensible shoes?" he asked, carrying her to the porch and up the stairs.

"No," she said, clinging to him. It would be just like him to drop her on her butt.

"Well, I could saw the heels off a couple pairs for you," he suggested, a smirk on his face, his green eyes twinkling beneath that stupid cowboy hat.

When she didn't return his smile, he said, "I didn't think you'd go for that idea. You could go down to the Wal-Mart later and grab yourself some boots and a pair of blue jeans.

"Tomorrow, you can point me in the direction of the nearest boutique. Now, please put me down."

At her comment, he threw back his head and laughed. But she had no idea what was so funny. Once he stopped laughing, he opened the front door as if he owned the place, and marched inside. The first thing she noticed was the gleaming hardwood floors and the smell of lemon scented furniture polish. On one side of the entry hall was the living room, and on the other the dining room. Both were framed with pocket doors. And both boasted oriental rugs and antique furniture. But before she had a chance to assess more of her surroundings, a huge, furry thing came rushing toward them. Tigress screamed and buried her face in Po's neck, holding on for dear life.

"Down, Jack," Po yelled.

She heard a little whine and then all was quiet.

444444

She wanted to see Shifu. And she didn't want to see Shifu. What would she say to him after all these years? At the funeral, they'd simply exchanged greetings, and after a few words, he'd left. His quick visit had left her visibly shaken, and relieved at the same time.

But this was different. She was staying in Shifu's house. And he was dying. There was no escaping that.

She made her way into her room and plopped down onto the bed. She saw something bounce off the bed and onto the floor. She looked at the stuffed pony. Shifu had given it to her onher fifth, or was it sixth, birthday. She opened her door and glanced around. She used the bathroom at the end of the hall, and then went in search of Shifu. She stopped in front of his room and took a deep breath before entering. When she stepped in, she almost fainted from surprise. Her father and the cowboy were smoking and drinking beerl.

**Wooh. Finally done. It took me some time to review. I sidnt lie when I said it would get awkward, did I. The name little miss hoity-toity is funny. I am obsessed with it now.**


	5. Chapter 5

Tigress pushed the door wide open and stormed inside. "Are you both crazy!" Cigar smoke clouded the room, casting a thick, gray haze above Shifubed.

"How dare you sup ply my father with cigars and alcohol, Mr. Ping! Don't you have any brains at all under that thick skull of yours?"

Marching forward, she grabbed the cigars from each of the men's fingers and stabbed them out in the glass ashtray on the bedside table.

She then picked up several empty beer cans, and thrust them at the cowboy. "Go get a trash bag and get this stuff out of here. Then, I want you out of this house." When the man only stared at her, ignoring her orders, she slapped her hands to her hips and added, "Now, Mr. Ping!"

The man glared at her without answering.

It was Shifu who spoke up. "Don't go blaming Po for-"

Tigress pointed a finger at him. "Of course I blame him."

"But-" Shifu started, only to be cut off by her.

"We'll talk about this later. Right now I expect Mr. Ping to follow my orders."

She glared at Po, daring him to talk back. She watched as he made eye contact with Shifu. "Are you going to let her talk to me like that?" But Shifu only shrugged his shoulders in defeat.

Slowly, Po got to his feet and stood over her.

There was no way in hell she'd let that man intimidate her. For heaven's sake, he was only an employee. He could certainly be replaced. And she was going to suggest that to Shifu once Po left the room.

After a few moments, he sighed loudly, stepped around her and walked out the door with an armful of empty beer cans. Turning around, Tigress focused on Shifu. He sat propped against the headboard, two pillows tucked behind him. His red hair needed combed, and his beard looked scruffy. But other than that, he looked as healthy as an ox.

His shoulders were wide and muscular, his belly round and full beneath the sheet, and he wore a broad smile on his ruddy face. She'd expected him to look thin, pale and drained, not robust and happy.

"How are you feeling?" she asked tentatively.

His smile broadened. "Much better, now that you're here." Patting the bed, he said, "Come closer. Let me get a good look at you."

She moved toward the bed, but didn't sit down. She noticed a pair of crutches propped at the end of the bed. In spite of his healthy looks, the poor man apparently didn't have enough strength to walk without support. Afraid he'd notice her worried look, she braved a smile.

He looked her over from head to toe, rubbing his silver streaked beard. "You're too skinny. But don't worry, Po and I will fatten you up in no time."

Tigress blinked at him, then folded her arms in front of her. It was the second time in two days she'd been told she was too skinny.

Po came back for a second load, tossed the cans in a black, plastic garbage bag and took the dirty ashtray with him when he left. Tigress shut the door behind him.

"About Mr. Ping-"

"Po a good man. I don't know what I would have done without him. If it hadn't been for Po, I probably would have lost this place years ago."

"I think you're giving him way too much credit. I don't want to upset you, especially in your condition, but I think you should consider replacing him. The man is . . . dangerous. And he has no manners, whatsoever."

He laughed harder this time, his face and neck turning a bright red. "I could never replace Po. He's been like a son to me. And he sure knows what the hell he's doing with those thoroughbreds. Did you know we had a triple crown winner last year? Ink Spot. Maybe you read about that. Do you know what a feat that is? Besides, Po owns half the farm and this house. Tigress felt as if she'd been slapped on the behind. "But-" She gathered her thoughts, then continued. "If you needed money, you could have called me. I would have helped you." Or would she have? What would she have thought of Shifu if he'd called after asking her for money when he hadn't bothered to visit her after all those years?

Shifu waved his hand, as if to dismiss her thoughts and lifted his chin. "Po and I don't want or need your money." He patted the bed again. "Come sit down."

"All Po needs is a good woman to love him, and a couple of kids. That would take care of that surly attitude of his. In the meantime, I'm sure having you around will put a smile on his face."

Tigress wasn't so sure about that. She'd yet to see the man smile. Not even when he'd laughed at her. Most of the time he looked as if he wanted to kill her with his bare hands.

But enough time wasted arguing about Po. It was Shifu who needed her attention. "Can I get you anything, Father? Some water? Something to eat?" She looked into his blue eyes. They were the same color as her own. And her dark red hair came from Shifu's genes as well. Though, she'd been spared most of his freckles.

"Nah. Po will grill me a steak later."

"A steak? Surely, that can't be good for you." Just the sight of red meat made her cringe inside. She'd speak to Po about Shifu's diet. Then she had a better idea. "I think it would be best if we hire someone, a cook with your dietary needs in mind, to prepare your meals."

"Dietary needs? Now, hold on there. I didn't ask you to come here and turn my house into a nursing facility with a wait staff. I don't want a bunch of strangers parading in and out of here, during my last days." He coughed twice. "Trust me, I know what's good for me. And nobodycooks up a steak likePo."

She'd seen the type of care Po had been providing for Shifu. Beer and cigars. There was no way she'd let that man come around Shifu again.

But she also understood and respected Shifu's wishes for peace and quiet. "Well, I suppose I could take over the cooking while I'm here."

"You know how to cook?" he asked, looking impressed.

"How hard can it be? If Po can do it, I'm sure I can learn."

Shifu winked at her. "That's my girl. A woman needs to know how to do simple things, like cooking, in order to hook a good man. She can't be spending all her time shopping and traveling."

Was he referring to her? Certainly, he didn't think that was all she did with her life, did he? But now was not the time to tell him about all the volunteer work she did at the children's hospital. Even though it didn't involve cooking or hard labor, the nurses and doctors appreciated the books she bought, and the stories she read to the children.

Her gaze shifted to the nightstand where a prescription bottle sat. Tigress reached out and picked it up. Take one tablet for pain every four hours, it read. It had been prescribed by a Dr. William Besner. Carefully, she replaced the bottle and looked at Shifu. He quickly dropped his gaze from her face.

Touching his arm gently, she asked, "Are you in terrible pain?"

"No, not always. At least, not now that you're here with me. How long will you stay?"

She didn't know, hadn't thought about it. But those weren't the words that came out of her mouth. "As long as you need me. I wouldn't dream of leaving you alone at a time like this."

"If I weren't so sick, would you have still come?"

"I . . ." she hesitated for a moment. "I'm not sure."

"He nodded, and a sad expression came over his face. "So, you're only here because Po told you I'm dying?"

"Don't!" she said, putting a finger to his lips. "Let's not talk about . . ." She couldn't say the word. "Let's just enjoy our time together."

He stared at her, then took her hand and squeezed it in his. She thought he had a remarkable amount of strength for such a sick man. "Okay," he agreed with a smile.

She smiled back at him, then leaned forward and kissed him softly on the cheek. "I think you should get some rest."

"I wouldn't mind a nap. Why don't you get familiar with the house and the farm?" he suggested. "Get Po to show you around."

Tigress didn't answer. She had no intention of having Po escort her anywhere. "I think I'll go upstairs and rest before dinner, if that's okay." Then realizing there wouldn't be any dinner tonight unless she could throw something together, she frowned. She'd never had a reason to learn to cook, but her mind was made up. She would be doing the cooking from now on.

444444

Po sat on his bed and waited for Tigress to finish in the bathroom. Since there was only one bath on the second floor, they had to share. And guest, or no guest, the woman was taking an awfully long time. She'd been in there at least forty-five minutes. What in hell could she be doing? he 'd been about to go across the hall, knock on the door and ask her how much longer she'd be when he finally heard the bathroom door open. He then waited until he heard her bedroom door close before walking down the hall to the bath.

Flipping on the light, he surveyed the room. Tigress's stockings, panties and bra decorated the shower rod and towel rack. And there were several toiletry items lining the small vanity. Dusting powder, body lotions, and bottles of fancy hair products with French names he couldn't begin to pronounce.

He could smell her in the small, steamy room. Her expensive, spicy, floral scent. The same one he'd smelled in the motel room the night before when she'd slept cradled in his arms.

He felt himself growing hard, remembering her pressed against him for a good part of the night. Great. That's all he needed. Since meeting her the day before, he'd been hard more times than not. And he didn'teven like the woman.

Trying to snap out of it, he decided to take a cold shower. There probably wasn't any hot water left anyway, since she'd been in there for so long.

Annoyed, he shook his head then moved from the sink and stared at the damp lingerie items again. Apparently, she'd washed them by hand and hung them to dry. In his clumsiness, he knocked her panties off the rod and caught them before they hit the floor. He was about to rehang them when he heard a voice behind him.

"What do you think you're doing?" Tigress asked, peering at the scrap cloth in his hands. She shifted her gaze upward to his face and looked at him as if he were some kind of demented sexual pervert.

Her long, curly, red hair framed her face and cascaded over her shoulders, making her look sweet, innocent, flirtatious, instead of the high society woman she normally portrayed. She wore a midnight blue silk robe, belted at the waist. It hung open in a vee just above her small breasts and reached the middle of her creamy white thighs. Po slowly ran his gaze down the front of her, wondering what she wore underneath the thin robe. Probably nothing, from what he could see. Arousal stirred beneath the fly of his jeans.

"Give me those, and stop ogling me." She clasped the opening of her robe with one hand and held out the other, waiting for him to give her the panties. Which he did.

"If you don't want to be ogled, maybe you shouldn't wander around the halls dressed like you want to be . . ." Because of the chilling look she gave him, he let his words fade.

"And you," she said, digging her index finger into his bare chest, "shouldn't walk around without your shirt." She pushed past him in the doorway, and made her way into the small bathroom, plucking her lingerie from the towel rack and shower rod. Obviously, she didn't want her things to be in the same room with him.

"I hadn't realized you'd noticed," he teased, hoping to agitate her. He was dressed in blue jeans and nothing else. "I'm flattered, Tigress."

She shot him a look over her shoulder that said she wasn't amused with him.

He tried again. "So, what do you want? Did you come to scrub my back?"

"You wish." Grabbing a bottle of lotion , she turned around and came smack up against him. Automatically his arms shot out to steady her.

Po didn't move. Didn't breathe. There was no way he wanted her to know that she'd turned him on.

She tilted her head back and stared up into his face. Her tongue darted nervously out of her mouth and moistened her lips. There was a slight catch in her breath. "I don't want to hurt your feelings, Mr. Ping, but I'm not at all attracted to you."

Then he noticed her eyes drift shut, and she let her head fall back slightly. She looked as if she wanted him to kiss her. He attached his mouth to hers and instantly felt her body go slack in his arms. A tiny moan escaped her lips and then they opened to him.

just as he slanted his head for a better angle, she clawed at him, covered her mouth with one hand and jerked away.

"Oh, God, I think I'm going to be sick."


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello guys, I've been getting some negative reviews on this story. Obviously, I delete them. They do not give constructive criticism. Only that the story sucks and stuff. Mention in the comments if you want me to continue or to stop this story. I don't want to write a story that no one is happy with. If you want me to stop, I won't hold a grudge against you if you use your real username. I just don't like random guests who come and say it sucks. Atleast 2/3 of the people that comment should tell me to continue.. or else it's to the scrap for this story.**

**thefuriousguy (seriously, i need an idea for a better pen-name. This _sucks._) suggestions would be nice.**


	7. Chapter 7

"Do you always have to carry me around like a sack of potatoes?" Tigress asked, trying to push away from his bare chest. As if it weren't embarrassing enough getting sick in front of him, now he refused to put her down, humiliating her even more. Her fingers clutched at her silk robe for fear it would gape open in certain places. Not that he hadn't already seen her naked in the motel bathroom the night before.

"A sack of potatoes weighs more than you do," Po said. "When's the last time you've eaten anything substantial?" He pushed open the door to her bedroom, crossed the room in three steps, and deposited her on the bed.

"Just a few hours ago. I had a cup of consommé."

"You mean that brown water you tried to pass off as dinner?"

She scowled at him. What did he know? And it wasn't as though she'd had much of a selection. Other than a freezer stocked with red meat, there hadn't been much in the way of health foods. "It was quite tasty. Besides, Shifu needs nourishment."

"Exactly. You keep feeding him stuff like that, and he's going to die of starvation."

"That's not funny, Mr. Ping!" Shifu was dying, and he was making jokes. "Tomorrow, I'm going to tell Shifu I insist you move out of this house while I'm here."

He grinned. "That's not gonna happen, Princess, but it'll be fun watching you try to get rid of me." He narrowed his eyes and leaned over her. She hurried away from him and into her bedroom.

She'd let an ex-con kiss her. She wanted to scream. How could she have let something like that happen? Maybe the aspirin she'd found earlier in the medicine cabinet, and had taken for her headache, hadn't been aspirin at all, but some kind of powerful drug that had relieved her of her senses. That had to be it. The man made her feel things she'd never felt before, and now she wanted to pretend that she wasn't at all responsible for what had happened between them. That she'd somehow been drugged or forced to kiss him. From the very first time she'd met him there had been something in his eyes, something about the way he looked at her, that gave her just a tingle of excitement.

Tigress slapped her hand on the bed. If she were honest with herself, she'd admit that she liked him to look at her with lust in his eyes. It made her feel alive, and before tonight, she'd never felt like that before. But regardless of how Po Ping made her feel, she vowed to stay completely away from him. She would never let him make a fool of her again.

444444

"You're sure Tigress didn't see you?" Shifu asked as he wolfed down the meat on his plate.

Po had never seen the old man so hungry. The broth Tigress had fed him earlier hadn't done the trick. Nor had the chunks of apples and bananas she'd offered him. Which is why Po had broiled Shifu a steak and micro-waved a couple baked potatoes.

"I'm sure," Po assured him. "She was sick, and went to bed early. I tucked her in myself."

"I thought she had a headache. What do you mean she was sick? What's wrong with her?"

"Nothing that a good meal won't cure. I know she's your daughter, Shifu, but that woman needs a beating. She wouldn't eat the dinner I bought her last night, and this morning she stuck her nose up at the food on the plane. She's damned spoiled. And because she hadn't eaten anything substantial for two days, she got a little light-headed and then threw up her consommé," he said. Po didn't bother to tell him about the kiss they'd shared.

"You're sure it's nothing serious?" Shifu asked.

Po nodded and lowered himself into a chair. "You know, I've been thinking about taking some time off. I haven't had a vacation in quite a while."

"Now? You can't go now," Shifu sputtered, and pushed his tray aside.

"Why the hell not? Bill can take care of things while I'm gone." Bill was their foreman. "And Tigress can take care of you."

"You saw what she fixed me for dinner tonight. If that's a sample of what I'm going to get to eat while she's here, I'll be dead in three days."

Shifu was right about that. "I'll ask Bill to sneak food you some food while I'm gone. Or better yet, tell your daughter the truth. That you're not sick, and you're not dying. Then you can eat the way you like."

Shaking his head violently, Shifu sat up and hung his bandaged feet over the edge of the bed. "I can't do that. Not yet. Not until we've had a chance to get to know each other better. Once she trusts me-"

"Trusts you? How the hell do you think she's going to feel when she finds out we've lied to her? She'll be on the first plane out of here." Po liked that idea. They didn't need Tigress here. Well, maybe Shifu thought he did, but Po didn't. The woman was driving him crazy. All he could think about was her.

"Which is why I had to lie in the first place." Shifu hung his head, and sighed. "She wouldn't have come, Po. She as much as admitted it this afternoon."

"Well, if she doesn't want to stay, you can't keep her prisoner here."

"I'm not. It's not like that. It's just that she used to love this place as a child. If it weren't for Natalie forbidding her to visit . . ."

Po had heard the story plenty of times over the years. Tigress had fallen from a horse and broken her arm when she was seven. Shifu had promised Natalie not to let their daughter anywhere near the horses, but he'd lied. He'd been teaching Tigress to ride the summer the accident occurred. To punish him, Natalie had refused to let their daughter return to the farm, and instead had left the country, married the first man with money she'd found, and stuck Tigress in a boarding school in China. The woman had then somehow convinced Shifu that he wasn't a very good influence for a young gir.

Shifu had regretted his decision not to fight his ex-wife all those years. But now that Natalie was dead, Shifuwanted his daughter back. Po was afraid it was too late, but didn't have the heart to tell his friend that because Shifu was determined to repair his relationship with her.

"Po, can't you postpone your vacation a little longer? I need you to help me. You owe me."

"What can I do? I've already let you talk me into lying to her. It's not easy, carrying on this charade of yours, you know." He paused, ran his hands through his hair. "Besides, I don't think she likes me very much."

"Sure she does."

Po snorted. "Okay, then. I don't like her." Or the state she'd left him in earlier. The cold shower he'd taken had done nothing to free his mind of her.

"Why not? When did you stop liking beautiful women?"

Narrowing his eyes, Po stood up and pointed his finger at Shifu. "When they think they can order me out of my own house."

"You know women, they overreact. Once you get to know Tigress better, you'll like her. She has a good heart, that one. Gonna make some lucky man a fine wife. Trust me." Shifu rearranged his pillows and leaned back against them, then plucked a cigar from the nightstand table, unwrapped it and lit up. After a few puffs, he said, "I can't wait to get out of this damn bed."

Po took the tray off Shifu's bed and moved it to the top of the dresser. He glanced at Shifu's bandaged feet.

She used to love horses, you know." After a few moments of silence, Shifu added, "You know, maybe it's time for me to retire. Maybe I should think about finding a wife, someone to grow old with."

"You're already old."

"Hah, what the hell do you know? Fifty-six isn't old. I'm in the prime of my life."

"Then why the hell are you talking about retiring?"

"I don't know. Maybe I'm bored. What would you say if I told you I wanted out?"

"I'd say you're crazy. Besides, even as well as we've been doing lately, you know I can't afford to buy you out." Last year's winnings had been invested in the business and used to build a new stable and barn.

"I wasn't talking about selling you my half. What if I gave it you? Would I still be welcome to live here? I mean, this has been my home forever. I'd like to see my grandkids running around outside . . . riding the horses."

Po paced the room for a moment, wondering why Shifu would want to give everything away. He also wondered why was it so important to Shifu that Po like Tigress, that he stay around while she was here. And then it hit him. He turned to look at Shifu. "Don't be getting any ideas about your daughter and me getting together, because it isn't going to happen. I pick my own women."

"Yeah, well, you haven't been picking so well. It's time you were married with a couple of kids."

Po walked over to the dresser and picked up the dinner tray. "I'm serious," he warned. He turned and walked toward the door, then stopped in his tracks and spun around. "That's what this is all about! You want Tigress to stay, and you want a couple of grandkids running around, so you think you can push the two of us together. Well, it's not going to work. I wouldn't marry your daughter if you gave me your half of the business and a million dollars to go with it."

After Po stomped from the room and slammed the door, Shifu smiled. "Wanna bet?"

444444

Tigress had been half asleep when she sensed someone standing over the bed, watching her. She awoke fully with a start and almost screamed.

"Shhhh," Po whispered. "It's just me."

The light in the hall burned brightly, outlining his body. After blinking several times, her eyes finally adjusted.

"What do you want?" she asked.

"I brought you something to eat," he said, startling her. "Can I turn on the light?"

He'd brought her something to eat? She managed a weak, "Yes."

He reached for the lamp on the bedside table and clicked it on. Walking to the dresser, he picked up a tray and carried it to the bed. "I brought you some soup and crackers. And a banana." Without waiting for her response, he wedged the tray around her hips, then sat beside her on the bed.

Tigress fixed her gaze on him. She could feel the heat from his body seeping through the covers and into her skin. But rather than ask him to leave, she welcomed his body heat and offered him a tentative smile. "Thank you. No one's ever done anything like this for me." A shiver ran up her spine. "You're cold. Here, eat this." He picked up the spoon and dipped it into the bowl. "It'll warm you up."

Before she could tell him she could feed herself, he touched the spoon to her lips, and she opened her mouth. Canned soup. Some kind of rice with chicken broth. She didn't really want it, but she didn't want to appear unappreciative. "I can feed myself." He placed the spoon in her hand and watched her take a bite. She was careful to avoid those penetrating eyes of his as she ate.

When the bowl was empty, he peeled back the banana, handed it to her and waited until she finished. Then he picked up the tray and walked to the door. "Good night, Princess. Remember, I'm just across the hall, if you need anything. Anything at all," he added with a grin before pulling the door shut.

Tigress let her head fall back onto the pillow. She'd made a horrible mistake earlier. He'd kissed her senseless. That was never going to happen again. She was here to take care of her sick father and she was not Po's personal punching bag. It was time he understood that.


End file.
